The prevalence and causes of visual impairment in central Sri Lanka: The Kandy eye study

Objective: To determine the prevalence and causes of uncorrectable visual impairment in the Kandy District of central Sri Lanka. Design: Population-based, cross-sectional study. Participants: Inhabitants ≥40 years of age from villages in the Kandy District were selected by randomized cluster sampling; 1721 eligible participants were identified and 1375 participated in the study. Methods: The ophthalmic examination included best-corrected logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (VA), slit-lamp examination of the anterior segment, and dilated stereoscopic fundus examination. The principal cause of visual impairment after best correction was recorded. Main Outcome Measures: Visual impairment (better eye <6/18) and blindness (better eye